BearLeek

What I really appreciated about Bear Leek was that the staff had a deep love of food and service without any pretentiousness. The quality of the hospitality was exceptional and the food quite good. I had the sense that the whole team was industry professionals running a restaurant in a way that they would want it run. I had questions and concerns about a black garlic old fashioned which I thought would ruin the nuance of the drink, but the bartender assured me otherwise. The old fashioned had nuance and was reasonably good. The bar menu had the best value to price options. The eggplant pakoras, tomato dish and the beef skewers were well done. We also had the radishes, halibut Ratatouille, milk, bread and butter. Every dish was well presented and well cooked. For dessert, we had the lemon poppy cake which was a bit dry but passable. The ambiance is hip but dark in a basement with black walls. It was well attended and seemed like many young people out on date night. For a Tuesday night, it was bustling. Overall, thoroughly enjoyable and we will return again.

I’m visiting from Florida, and as soon as I knew I’d be in town, Bear Leek was at the top of my list after reading all the amazing reviews online and let me just say, it did not disappoint! The food was absolutely delicious, every bite packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. The restaurant itself is super clean and well-kept, which made the dining experience even better. The staff was very attentive, friendly, and really on point the entire time, making us feel welcomed and taken care of. Definitely worth the stop.I’ll be coming back anytime I’m in town!

Bear Leek is a GEM! The food was outstanding — fresh, creative, and full of flavor. What really made the night stand out was the genuine hospitality. Carlos and the team were friendly, engaging, and made us feel truly taken care of. Their attention to detail and warm service made the whole experience memorable. Can’t wait to return!

A bear and a leek walk into a basement… and somehow Denver got one of its hottest new restaurants. BearLeek in RiNo is a total vibe, and I’m already planning my next visit. The food was fantastic overall. The tartare was easily one of the best I’ve ever had — bold flavor and served with incredible fluffy bread. Speaking of bread, the Bread & ButterBear was such a fun, whimsical touch, and those rolls? Absolute fire. Other highlights for me were the burrata, tuna crudo, and pavlova. Drinks were just as impressive. The cocktails are balanced, complex, and beautifully made, and the wine list pairs perfectly with the menu. Add in a lively, moody atmosphere and welcoming service, and it’s the kind of spot that works for date night, a friends’ night out, or anything in between. The only miss for me was the fried chicken, which leaned a little dry (though the skin was flavorful). But even with that, the overall experience was excellent, and I’ll absolutely be back — especially to try their happy hour burger.

This restaurant is a little gem. The menu is fresh and the food full of flavor. The service was fantastic. I loved the concept, the decor and the elevated cuisine.

Well this is a fun Lil spot with good food, nice hip ambiance, and pretty excellent service. Make a resi, sit at the bar, make good choices, and enjoy your time. Oh yeah, its all solid here and the menue rotates quarterly.

An exciting new addition to the Denver scene. While I'm a bit bummed Osaka Ramen's green chile ramen is gone forever, I'm quite happy with what took it's place. Service was great, exactly what I would expect from a place of its caliber. The staff was friendly and chatty without feeling excessive at the chef's counter. The table service seemed more intimate though I only took the occasional glance in that direction. We started with the burrata, which came with a spicy oil and a sesame and fennel covered cracker. The cheese had a smooth texture with just enough give to let the crackers separate it without needing a utensil. Solid opener. Next came the compressed melons and heirloom tomatoes with a vegetarian take on fish sauce, topped with jalapenos. Hands down my favorite bites of the meal. The melon (santaclaus melon tonight, though apparently it changes) had a nice sweetness and satisfying crunch, and the jalapeno had a lot more spice than I expected. There was a citrusy punch from the sauce, with a faint note of pineapple. Very satisfying in every way. We added an order of bread, which came with a charred leek butter pressed into a bear shape. Don't let the color distract you, it's a brilliant dish. The four fluffy yeast rolls with a light sheen of oil or butter were great alone, but oh so savory and delicious paired with the grey smokey leek butter. I will order this again on all subsequent visits. Our mains were well executed and quite filling. We sat at the chef's counter, so we watched countless half chickens get egged and floured before being dropped into the fryer. The meat itself was decent, but the standout was the sauce and slaw. The unusual mix of flavors left me excited and drooling for the next bite, though that might have been the szechuan in the sauce. The chef's take on a steak frites was competently done, sliced app style, and served with potato straws and a "broken A1 sauce." After every other dish pummeled me with flavors, it was a bit of a surprise in it's relative simplicity. I guess there aren't too many things you can do with steak and potatoes to make it stand out. If they're still on the same menu on my next visit, I'll go with the fish. Our last course was a round of drinks and the bear popsicle. The house made seasonal cello was melon (honeydew?). It was sweet and smooth, though a bit much for any course but dessert if you're not into limoncello variants. The Arnold palmer-esque drink my partner ordered was fantastic, capturing the look and feel of an Arnold Palmer with none of the ingredients. That brings me to the bizarrely delicious frozen custard bear on a stick. The sweet and sour filling was topped with a spicy oil with black garlic and peanuts. Absolutely none of those flavors seemed like they should have gone together, but I couldn't stop eating it. It was quite an experience. I feel like I need to have it another two or three times just to figure out if it was the taste or the feeling of bafflement the taste evoked that made it so enjoyable. The last bear themed food was a small jellied berry in the form of a gummy bear, dropped along with the check and two BearLeek stickers. I asked the server, and I managed to get all the bear shaped foods currently on the menu. I don't think the menu *needs* any more bear themed options, but if there are any more in the future, I'll order them. They added a nice layer of whimsy to the meal that fit quite well. All in all, I'm very happy I got to visit, and excited to see how the menu changes moving forward.

Damn near perfect. From the second you walk in you can feel this is going to be something special. The look, the sound, the hospitality is absolutely top notch. Then the drinks! A really delightful beverage program brought some unique twists on classics and new creations to the table. Oh? We’re a paragraph in and we haven’t even talked about the food?! The food!! It’s incredible. Everything is perfectly balanced with little surprises everywhere (that sour lemon bite with the Pierogis, yum!). There is something special here and they have come out of the gate with a bang.